A number of battery post clamping devices have been developed in the prior art with configuration adapted to receive both the positive and negative terminal posts in a storage battery, such as an automobile battery. These are the so-called "universal" battery post connectors. They are intended to accept both positive and negative terminal posts, the positive terminal generally being somewhat larger in size than the negative terminal for polarity identification purposes. Such posts are often tapered to facilitate tightening of the connector therearound.
The typical battery post connector commercially available comprises an apertured, split deformable body adapted to be clamped about the battery terminal. Such a connector generally includes a pair of spaced parallel lugs that are drawn together to clamp the battery post by a bolt and nut. These connectors are typically designed to fit properly on the smaller, negative terminal post. As such, insertion onto the larger, positive post initially provides only a partial fit as the connector aperture is too small to fully accommodate the larger diameter of the positive terminal post. To provide a proper fit on the positive post, the connector aperture is often opened by mechanical means, such as a screwdriver. In addition to being time consuming, such manipulation has a tendency to distort the connector aperture which may cause voids in the connection interface with a consequent reduction in electrical conductivity and potentially accelerated corrosion.
With the known battery post connector configurations, a mere change in design to initially properly fit the larger, positive terminal post is undesirable as the additional clearance about the smaller, negative terminal results in reduced compression about the post or requires excessive torque to provide a suitable connection.